HP Hampden

[leyreynolds]

Can anyone recommend references for this type please, especially the two colour scheme for the torpedo bomber?

[Hardcastle]

Warpaint series 57, by Alan Hall page 27 for the Coastal command White / Grey scheme

Profile publications no 58, by Philip Moyes

[rossm]

There's this

I think the EDSG/White scheme was only used on the Hampden in the Met role. As a torpedo bomber it was usually in TSS with the exception noted above.

 

 

[Paul Lucas]

The official scheme was supposed to be Extra Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with Sky on the under surfaces.

 

There might be a case for suggesting Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces or Sky Blue on the under surfaces of some aircraft, but the argument to make either of these cases is too long and involved to go into here.

 

Offhand, I don't remember ever seeing any primary source document that places Medium Sea Grey on the upper surfaces of a wartime Coastal Command aircraft in either the Anti-submarine or Torpedo Bomber role.

[leyreynolds]

Thanks Paul. The Hampden seems to have fewer references than other Bomber Command types.

[rossm]

4 minutes ago, Paul Lucas said:

The official scheme was supposed to be Extra Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with Sky on the under surfaces.

I think this came in around February/March 1943 as a labour/time/material saving compared to the previous TSS? The RAF Museum book gives AMO A.1096/42 issued on 8th Oct 1942 with references to Hampdens which I think I've interpreted correctly on my page http://hrmtech.com/SIG/coastal_cam.asp to say:-

"....amended by the addition of the Hampden TB - Beaufort, long range Beaufighter, Blenheim, Hudson & Hampden TB to have Temperate Sea Scheme uppersurfaces (Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey) with Sky undersurfaces. "Remarks" now states that Beauforts & Hampden TB have Night undersurfaces, Hudsons may also have Night undersurfaces."

The reference to the Hudson seems to be an error as it was added to the group with White undersides by the same AMO but not removed from this group - an administrative oversight presumably.

 

How many Hampdens would have been repainted in the single colour upper surfaces before they went out of service as torpedo bombers from January 1943 with the last squdron re-equipping in December 1943? I don't know but probably not many would be my guess.

[rossm]

3 minutes ago, leyreynolds said:

The Hampden seems to have fewer references than other Bomber Command types.

Yes but there's the following that I know of:-

 

The Hampden File - Author: Harry Moyle; Publisher: Air Britain

Warpaint Series No. 57 - Publisher: Hall-Park Books

Hampden Squadrons in Focus - Author: Mark Postlethwaite; Publisher: Red Kite

Aviation News Vol.06 No.9 (plans)

Hampden Special - Author: Chaz Bowyer; Publisher: Ian Allan 1976

Aircraft Profile 58

Forgotten Bombers of the RAF - Author: K.Wixey; Publisher: Arms and Armour 1997

Air International Vol.1 no.4 (Viewed from the Cockpit)

Air International Vol.27 p.244 (Warbirds)

Scale Models Sept.1986 (plans & article)

Air Enthusiast no.14 (feature)

Scale Aircraft Modelling Vol.9 p.198 (Aircraft in Detail)

[leyreynolds]

Thanks for that list. I'll chase up some of them.

 

Ley

[Graham Boak]

The point about the white scheme is that it is to reduce the visibility from below, as suitable for a patrol type.   Torpedo bombers and others are much less interested in that than reduced visibility against the dark sea.  Hence the retention of TSS.  Thanks Rossm, I think this is the first reference I have seen (or at least noted!) that they were specifically exempted from the white, although clearly the photos show just that.

[Duggy]

Some info here --  http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?id=16824

[dov]

As far as I remember during by modelling time FAA and RAF a/c:

The white underside in glossy paint was a camo!

Ship crews and specially submarine crews had troubles in spotting the glossy white!

Happy modelling